A widespread panic was caused among people when ammonia gas leaked from the pipeline of a cold storage in Ekdil in Etawah district around noon on Thursday, police said. After several hours of constant efforts, the fire department teams managed to fix the leak. A control valve of the pipeline carrying ammonia gas to SN Cold Storage near the national highway was not properly closed leading to major release of gas in atmosphere, said circle officer, Etawah city, Rajeev Singh.
No one was hurt in the leakage, he added. However, people in the nearby villages complained of burning sensation in eyes, pain in chest and anxiety following the leak, Singh said. Health department teams swung into action and examined the people in their villages, said chief medical officer, Etawah, Dr Bhagwan Das.
Tehsildar, Sadar, Shripal Yadav said assessment of damage the gas might have caused in the open fields was going on. It is believed that the leak may have damaged crops worth 20 lakh. The ammonia gas is considered injurious because of its cold nature.